fanfare
/ˈfænfɛɹ/noun, verb
fanfare is spelled F-A-N-F-A-R-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, fanfare means “A flourish of trumpets or horns as to announce; a short and lively air performed on hunting horns during the chase” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of fanfare is fanfares.
How many letters and syllables are in fanfare?
| Letters | 7: F-A-N-F-A-R-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,362nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is fanfare?
Fanfare appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce fanfare?
- UK /ˈfænfɛə/
- US /ˈfænfɛɹ/
- US [ˈfɛənfɛɹ]
Fanfare has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-fanfare.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of fanfare
- fanfares plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- fanfaring participle, present
- fanfared participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does fanfare mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A flourish of trumpets or horns as to announce; a short and lively air performed on hunting horns during the chase.
They played a short fanfare to announce the arrival of the king.
- 2
A show of ceremony or celebration.
The town opened the new library with fanfare and a speech from the mayor.
verb
- 1
To play a fanfare.
- 2
To embellish with fanfares.
- 3
To imitate a fanfare, in order to dramatize the presentation or introduction of something.
- 4
To introduce with pomp and show.
- 5
To mark an arrival or departure with music, noise, or drama.
- 6
To publicize or announce.
- 7
To fan out.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Fanfare in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | fanfare |
| German | Fanfare |
| Portuguese | fanfarra |
| Spanish | fanfarria , bombo y platillo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does fanfare come from?
Borrowed from French fanfare; some senses apparently influenced by surface analysis, fan + fare.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).